Tuning device for wind musical instruments



Aug- 2, 1932 A. 1 SMITH TUNING DEVICE FOR WIND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS FiledSep. 8, 1931 ffffllllllilnlll.

:J1/wanton Patented Aug. 2, 1932 UNITED STATES APATENT i OFFICE ALFREDI.. SMITH, oF ELIUIART, INDIANA, AssIe-Noit 'ro c. G. coNN, D'rn, 0FELKIIAHI,

INDIANA, A CORPORATION or INDIANA TUNING DEVICE FOR WIND MUSICALINSTRUMENTS Application filed September 8, 1931. Serial No. 561,677.

This invention relates to wind musical instruments of the reed type, andparticularly to clarinets, saxophones, and thelike.

The principal object of my invention is to provide an improved,simplified, and cheap tuning device for a reed musical instrument of theclass mentioned.

Another object is to provide a unitary tuning device and mouthpiecemount for a reed musical instrument of the class mentioned.

A third object is to provide a tuning device for saxophones, clarinets,and the like, that is simple, cheap, unitary, and which has a doubletelescopic connection with the mouthpipe f the instrument.

Other and more specific objects of the invention are mentioned anddescribed herein.

The preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, wherein Figure l is a side elevational view of asaxophone mouthpipe to which my invention is applied, the tuning devicebeing illustrated in section;

Fi g. 2 is a top plan view thereof; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional longitudinal view of the'tuning unit alone.

Similar numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the severalviews on the drawing.

Referring now to the details of the drawing the numeral 1 indicates thecurved tapered mouthpipe of a saxophone to which the tubular cylindricaltip 2 may be secured, as an extension, bv soldering, or otherwise in anysuitable manner. The numeral 3 generally indicates the tuning device orunit which may comprise the tubular tapered body member 4, the sleevemember 5 concentric therewith, and the clamping screw 6, said bodymember having a cork sleeve 7 mounted ex-` teriorly thereon totelescopically engage the mouthpiece 8 (indicated in dotted lines), asis well known in the art.

The sleeve member 5 is provided with the annular inturned flange portion9 adjacent the forward end thereof which is rigidly secured to and aboutthe exterior of the body member 4 by soldering, or otherwise in anysuitable manner, whereby said sleeve member,

whichvis shorterr than the inner tubular meni- A ber 4, isconcentrically mounted in spaced relation to the member 4 andforafraction of the lengthof the latter and provides an open end chamber 10within which the mouthpipe tip 2 is Vslidably and removably mounted.

The kcork sleeve V7 encompasses that portionV of the member 4 whichprojects beyond the sleeve 5 and may contact with the sleeve flange 9,or terminate adjacent thereto, the outer end of said cork sleeve beingengaged by the hook-like flange 11 of member 4 to prevent longitudinaldisplacement of said sleeve. A grip ring 12 may be formed on Etheexterior ofthe sleeve 5 adjacent the forward end thereof to facilitatelongitudinal sliding movement of the tuning unit 3 on the mouthpipe tip2.

Means for clamping the tuning unit 3 Il adjustment with the mouthpipetip 2 may be provided.- Y Y As illustrated, such clamping meanscomprises a headed clamping screw 6 and lugs 13 and 14 rigidly mountedupon the sleeve 5 upon opposite sides of the slit 15 formed in the endof said sleeve, said screw extending through a drilled hole in lug 14and into screw threaded relation with lug 13, and said screw having anannular shoulder 16 in engagementV with the, lug 14, whereby saidclamping means functions as a ligature for pinching the inner end of thesleeve 5 against and about the mouthpipe tip 2.

In the application and operation of my improved4 tuning device the unitv3 is slidably mounted uponthe mouthpipe tip 2, in which position thetubular slidably engages'withi'n the bore lof said tip,

Vandsleeve 5 engages about the exterior of said mouthpipe tip, in whichrelation with the tip 2 the tuning unit 3 is manually slidable upon saidtip to eEect the desired pitch change. When the desired adjustment ofthe unit 3 has been made it may he rigidly maintained by the clampingaction of the screw 6.

I cla-im: j

1. A tuning unit for reedmusical instruments comprising inner and outertubular members rigidly connected together in spaced concentric relationand providing an open end chamber between said tubular members.

2. A tuning unit for reed musical instruments comprising inner and outertubular members rigidly connected together in spaced 5 concentricrelation to provide an open end chamber extending about said innertubular member, said inner member extending beyond the end of said outermember.

3. A tuning unit for reed musical instruments comprising inner and outertubular members rigidly connected together in spaced concentric relationand providing an open end chamber therebetween, said inner member eX-tending beyond the end of said outer member and provided with anonmetallic sleeve.

4c. A tuning unit for Areed musical instruments comprising inner andouter tubular members rigidly connected together in spacedconcentric'relation and providing an open en d chamber therebetween,said outer tubular member being shorter than said inner member, andclamping means carried by said outer tubular member.

5. The combination with the tubular end of the. mouthpipe of a reedmusical instrument, of a unitary tuning unit and mouthpiece mountslidablyk mounted upon said mouthpipe and effecting inner and outertelescopic connection therewith.

6. The combination with the tubular end of the mouthpipe of a reedmusical instrument, of. a longitudinallyv chambered combined tuning unitand mouthpiece mount slidably mounted upon said mouthpipe and effectinga telescopic connection with both the bore and exterior of saidmouthpipe-end, and clamping means carried by said tuning unit.

7. A tuning unit for reed musical instruments comprising inner and outertubular.

members rigidly connected together in spaced concentric relation andproviding an open end chamber between said tubular members, said chamberbeing adapted to be occupiedby the tubular mouthpipe of the musicalinstrument,

said outer tubular member being provided With screw clamping means.

l8. A tuning unit for reed musical instruments comprising inner andouter tubular members rigidly connected together in spaced concentricrelation and providing an open end chamber therebetween, said innermember extending beyondthe end vof said outer member and provided with anon-metallic sleeve, said outermember being longitudinal- 55 ly slit atits free end, and screw clamping means coacting with the slit in saidouter member.

ALFRED L. SMITH..

